This invention relates to elongated machine elements of the type having a spherical end on a cylindrical shaft, and the invention is particularly directed to such machine elements of the type formed by fitting a ball on the end of a shaft.
Machine elements of this type are well known, and may be employed, for example, for the foot bearings of centrifuges.
Machine elements of the above type are frequently formed by welding or soldering a ball on the flattened face of a solid shaft. When the machine element is formed by such techniques, however, accurate alignment of the ball and shaft is attainable only with great expense. In order to obtain accurate centering of the ball with respect to the shaft, a prismatic or projecting peripheral rim may be formed on the end of the shaft, in order to enable centering of the ball before affixing it to the shaft. This arrangement has the disadvantage, of course, that the end of the shaft must be specially machined or otherwise formed, with the consequent increase in cost and processing steps.